Hock arthritis experiences please

[SoundTheBugle]

My rising 5 year old was diagnosed with fairly severe arthritic changes in his left hock yesterday after a lameness workup. He's had steroid injections and seems more comfortable, so fingers crossed for the improvement lasting.



It's come as quite a shock, given his age, so looking for people's experiences with managing arthritis long term and any suggestions for work/supplements/therapies etc that have helped please?

Thank you!

 

[cumbriamax]

Sorry no real experience or anything of value to offer but didn't want to read and run.. I hope you get some good tips on managing the condition. Has your vet offered any advice or treatments such as hock injections (again this isn't something I know about).

 

[SoundTheBugle]

Sorry no real experience or anything of value to offer but didn't want to read and run.. I hope you get some good tips on managing the condition. Has your vet offered any advice or treatments such as hock injections (again this isn't something I know about).

He's had his hock injected with steroids and the vet's coming out in a few weeks to see firstly whether the steroids have helped him, and secondly to discuss what his longer term options are.
No-one was expecting arthritis, vets included, as it's been a really strange presentation and I've only ever dealt with it in horses at the end of their working lives so it's new territory for me.

 

[spotty_pony]

My rising 5 year old was diagnosed with fairly severe arthritic changes in his left hock yesterday after a lameness workup. He's had steroid injections and seems more comfortable, so fingers crossed for the improvement lasting.

View attachment 71110View attachment 71111

It's come as quite a shock, given his age, so looking for people's experiences with managing arthritis long term and any suggestions for work/supplements/therapies etc that have helped please?

Thank you!

My Appy was diagnosed aged 13 - he is now almost 22 and still in work! We had the steroid injections and they made a massive difference - I have repeated them
every two years and he lets me know when he is not right as he will go lame behind. I made the decision to stop all schooling with him from the age of 13 as circles and turns make it worse; so as to prolong his ridden careers. We hunter every season and jumped everything until he was 18, where I decided to stop for an issue unrelated to the hock arthritis. I used to give him a satchet of Danilon in his tea in the later years on the day we had been Hunting, just to help his achy joints. Nowadays he is a happy hacker, and I pick and choose the ground very carefully, but he is still enjoying his work. I was told that if you can get enough work into them then whilst they are sound, the joints will fuse and they will be more comfortable. Don't quote me on this but maybe ask your Vet. I give him a good 20 mins of walk work to loosen up each time I ride and also make sure I cool down properly. He isn't on any other supplements, but I may add glucosamine in the winter this year for a bit of extra help when it's cold. He gets as much turnout as possible - out 24/7 in summer and in at night during the winter. Don't give up hope yet, your horse just may need managing differently and a career change and he may be fine.

 

[SadKen]

Steroid only lasted 3 months in my girl (diagnosed at 11) and I was worried about the cumulative effects and costs to keep that going.

Instead, we tried ethyl alcohol injected into the joint space. It kills the nerve, and provokes the bones into remodelling. It basically cured my mare and I would do it again under those circumstances. There are risks to the procedure, and you need a good vet, but it panned out really well for us. A year later we re-xrayed and my vet was super pleased and said she would pass a vetting on her hocks as a result of the remodelling, something I had not expected.

Worth a chat with your vet maybe. Good luck!

 

[SoundTheBugle]

My Appy was diagnosed aged 13 - he is now almost 22 and still in work! We had the steroid injections and they made a massive difference - I have repeated them
every two years and he lets me know when he is not right as he will go lame behind. I made the decision to stop all schooling with him from the age of 13 as circles and turns make it worse; so as to prolong his ridden careers. We hunter every season and jumped everything until he was 18, where I decided to stop for an issue unrelated to the hock arthritis. I used to give him a satchet of Danilon in his tea in the later years on the day we had been Hunting, just to help his achy joints. Nowadays he is a happy hacker, and I pick and choose the ground very carefully, but he is still enjoying his work. I was told that if you can get enough work into them then whilst they are sound, the joints will fuse and they will be more comfortable. Don't quote me on this but maybe ask your Vet. I give him a good 20 mins of walk work to loosen up each time I ride and also make sure I cool down properly. He isn't on any other supplements, but I may add glucosamine in the winter this year for a bit of extra help when it's cold. He gets as much turnout as possible - out 24/7 in summer and in at night during the winter. Don't give up hope yet, your horse just may need managing differently and a career change and he may be fine.

Steroid only lasted 3 months in my girl (diagnosed at 11) and I was worried about the cumulative effects and costs to keep that going.

Instead, we tried ethyl alcohol injected into the joint space. It kills the nerve, and provokes the bones into remodelling. It basically cured my mare and I would do it again under those circumstances. There are risks to the procedure, and you need a good vet, but it panned out really well for us. A year later we re-xrayed and my vet was super pleased and said she would pass a vetting on her hocks as a result of the remodelling, something I had not expected.

Worth a chat with your vet maybe. Good luck!

Thank you both, it's lovely to hear such positive stories.
Duke was never going to be a world beater anyway and so long as we can keep him comfortable for at least happy hacking (locking stifle means he's not happy as a field ornament, sadly) he's got a home for life with me, despite originally being bought as a project to sell on ?

 

[Widgeon]

My Appy was diagnosed aged 13 - he is now almost 22 and still in work!....I made the decision to stop all schooling with him from the age of 13 as circles and turns make it worse; so as to prolong his ridden careers....Nowadays he is a happy hacker, and I pick and choose the ground very carefully, but he is still enjoying his work.

As the owner of a 12 year old cob with hock arthritis this is tremendously encouraging! I think often you only hear the sad stories - I do wonder how many other horses there are out there bumbling along quite happily at a low level with arthritis kept under control by medication. Probably quite a few. FWIW mine has had tildren, cartrophen and steroids, all on diagnosis at the start of the year, so in 9 months or so I should have a better idea of how things are looking. He's absolutely sound now though.

 

[spotty_pony]

As the owner of a 12 year old cob with hock arthritis this is tremendously encouraging! I think often you only hear the sad stories - I do wonder how many other horses there are out there bumbling along quite happily at a low level with arthritis kept under control by medication. Probably quite a few. FWIW mine has had tildren, cartrophen and steroids, all on diagnosis at the start of the year, so in 9 months or so I should have a better idea of how things are looking. He's absolutely sound now though.

That's great to hear! My boy has literally just had the steroid. He used to have hylouronic acid injections whilst he was covered with insurance, but has been fine with just steroid since. His is both hocks but one is slightly worse so occasionally he has just had the one medicated. I haven't seen x-rays since he was 13 so the arthritis is probably more advanced by now, but as long as he keeps responding so well to having them medicated and it lasting, I am happy.

 

[ShowJumperBeckii]

Talk to your vet about polyarcylamide gel! It’s more expensive than your normal joint steriods but has many more benefits!

 

[SEL]

Mine was diagnosed just after her 6th birthday. Vet thought she's been hunted too young - except she'd come to me from the field at 4, backed at 5 and only been a light hack. She does have PSSM which I suspect contributed. Steroids weren't much good but arthramid gel has really helped.

It's a bit horse dependent. Friend had steroid jabs into a young horse and never looked back but others have needed them annually.

 

[ClippClopp]

I’ve a 6 year old with moderate changes in one hock joint. Other hock is fine and the other joints in that hock are fine too. It took a while to get diagnosed due to her age it wasn’t expected. Steroid injection didn’t work so arthramid and cartrophen are the next step. Fingers crossed for your horse and mine!

 

[rabatsa]

The one I have now was diagnosed at 12, injected but never really came right and was retired three months later. The other was a 6yr old and was being prepared for a long drive in the carriage. On x-ray her hocks were half fused so vet said to keep working her and they would fully fuse. Her hocks never fully fused and she retired from work that summer. She was still stepping short in the paddock 10 years later, worse after any run around.

 

[TotalMadgeness]

My 12yo IDx was diagnosed a few years ago and he is managed with osphos injections, keeping his weight down, doing exercise that benefits him (so mainly hacking/no jumping or polework), physio, keeping him warm etc. He also gets devils claw in his feed. He is still stiff but if I school him I warm him up with lots of work in walk first.

 

[SoundTheBugle]

Those who've had success with steroid injections, how quickly did you see an improvement and to what degree did they come sound?
Duke's done his first bit of long reining today - just in walk round the edge of our arena because he felt like a ticking bomb - and although he's definitely sounder I'm not convinced he's completely comfortable and was stepping a bit short. He's on a bute a day until we see the vet in a few weeks.

 

[NooNoo59]

Mine was diagnosed just after her 6th birthday. Vet thought she's been hunted too young - except she'd come to me from the field at 4, backed at 5 and only been a light hack. She does have PSSM which I suspect contributed. Steroids weren't much good but arthramid gel has really helped.

It's a bit horse dependent. Friend had steroid jabs into a young horse and never looked back but others have needed them annually.

Hi jumping on this thread as just had a tentative diagnosis of hock arthritis in a rising 8 year old!, is yours a welsh d by any chance?

 

[paddi22]

I've one who had hock injections when he was 13 and kept eventing till his 20s. he got one set of injections aged 13 and then another set when he was 18. I minded him very carefully though. He lived out 24/7 and could in to stable when he wanted. I limited the amount of jumping I didn't, I only really jumped at competitions. I did long slow hacks to keep him fit. I was really careful about the ground I rode on. I spent ages warming him up very slowly when riding or doing any work. A good joint supplement, plus devils clam made a massive difference to him as well. I had to take shoes off because of another issue, but actually found he moved much better without the shoes.

 

[NooNoo59]

Xrays done this morning, joints in hocks all good but as he was reactive to blocking the vet recommends medicating both hocks. Also he was presenting lame on the off side fore and we xrayed that and he has an old fracture on his side bone and part of it is floating also changes in the coffin joint which could be attributed to this old trauma, so we are medicating that as well. Slightly concerned that I now wont be able to get insurance for anything on those 3 legs! and he is only 8. Will organise supplement asap and start rehab after the jabs, be careful with ground, warm up slowly, any other tips gratefully received.

 

[ownedbyaconnie]

Following with interest. Mine was diagnosed about a month ago and had steroid injections. She’s out 24/7 and now has glucosamine in her breakfast. I’m currently on a ridden rehab plan starting with 30 mins walk and 5 mins trot with trot increasing each week with canter added in in a few weeks time.

she had two days off and then from the first ride she’s felt better and better (she did also have her SI treated at the same time).

 

[NooNoo59]

That is very encouraing!

 

[Jango]

Mine was diagnosed 2 years ago at 5 years old (also a huge shock). She's came sound and is now eventing at BE80 and dressage BD novice. She's had steroids and cartephen and has needed the steroids every 6 months. She's just had steroids and she will be having the arthemed at the end of summer. I walk for 15 mins when I first get on, only go in the school twice a week, do lots of hacking, she has plenty of turnout, regular physio and massages and she's on a joint supplement. Not sure what the future holds but it's been positive so far ? good luck!

 

[NooNoo59]

Do you hack on roads? Would i still be able to trot on the road? Our off road hacking is a bit shit in the winter.

 

[ownedbyaconnie]

Do you hack on roads? Would i still be able to trot on the road? Our off road hacking is a bit shit in the winter.

Yep so my rehab plan from the vet insists on hard surfaces. I haven’t actually gone on the road yet but my hacking is all hard paths alongside fields then when I do venture on a field it’s obviously rock hard at the moment with the lack of rain anyway.

 

[Birker2020]

Steroid only lasted 3 months in my girl (diagnosed at 11) and I was worried about the cumulative effects and costs to keep that going.

Instead, we tried ethyl alcohol injected into the joint space. It kills the nerve, and provokes the bones into remodelling. It basically cured my mare and I would do it again under those circumstances. There are risks to the procedure, and you need a good vet, but it panned out really well for us. A year later we re-xrayed and my vet was super pleased and said she would pass a vetting on her hocks as a result of the remodelling, something I had not expected.

Worth a chat with your vet maybe. Good luck!

this procedure worked for my horse too, I was able to have lots and lots of happy years with her following the procedure doing the same things I'd done previously. Cost about £700 for both hocks way back in 2011/12 I think it was. Prior to this we'd had the normal intra articular steroid/ha injections and then three courses of tildren but to no avail. The chemical arthrodesis was a last attempt and it worked very well. Its probably very old fashioned and has been superseded by much better stuff now.

But spavin is more a lifestyle change. Keeping weight off the horse, not trotting on the road, getting the foot balance 110%, possibly considering remedial farriery if the horse is placing its limbs differently to combat it doing so, giving a good joint supplement, picking your surfaces really carefully, limiting what you do if the horse doesn't react positively to intervention.

There's no reason to think you won't be able to continue doing what you did prior to diagnosis but it depends how favourably he reacts to treatment.

 

[Ceriann]

Mine has just started a course of cartrophen. She’s 13 and only showing v mild changes on x/rays but isn’t moving as well or as willingly as I’d like so we’re exploring treatment options. First injection done and only in hand walking but her walk is more forward and active already. Positive early signs.